Microsoft opened their E3 2013 conference with Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, and with that taster recently released and utterly rinsed, our Metal Gear minds are cast towards the game proper and catching up with the mono-eyed, stealthy grump Snake. Here's what we've discovered about the game over E3 so far...

1) Snake's got an arm off!

"Venom Snake" as your man's now called has lost an arm somewhere (presumably in the attack at the end of Ground Zeroes) which he's swapped for a snazzy, red prosthetic. This will obviously have gameplay implications, not least that he can attract enemies by bashing it to make a metallic noise

Snake has lost an arm in this instalment (Photo: Publicity picture)

2) The "Fulton system" from Peace Walker returns!

This is the surface-to-air recovery system where you stick a balloon on something that rises into the air for a passing MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft to gobble up and spirit away. This will extract enemies, vehicles, even sheep.

3) There's a fully-customisable base

You can chopper back to Mother Base, basically an oil rig in the ocean, at any time and it's a fully customisable base where everything you've "fultoned" back will be roaming around. Fulton a sheep? It'll be there. A bit grumpy, presumably. Any enemy soldiers you've fultoned away will join your Diamond Dog army.

4) There's a mission in Afghanistan

E3 visitors saw a 20 minute mission set in Afghanistan with Snake riding in on a horse. Leading to..

The horses play an interesting role this time around (Photo: Publicity picture)

5) Horse poo!

6) Snake still smokes

But now, with director Hideo Kojima's trademark silliness, he now puffs on an e-cigarette. This is also a gameplay dynamic that speeds up the passing of time in the day/night cycle.

Snake now smokes an e-cigarette (Photo: Publicity picture)

7) The "support marker" returns

Another gameplay thing from Peace Walker, now, as well as air strikes and rations, you can use it to call your team in to scope and recon an area before you tackle it, flagging up enemy placements and whatnot.

8) There's an active weather system

During the Afghan mission, a sand storm blew into the base, obscuring enemy's vision, but giving stealthy Snake the upper hand.

9) The cardboard box is back!

Obviously. And Snake can leap out the top of the box – like it's a comedy, huge birthday cake – snipe enemies, and hide back again. If you're spotted, you can dive into cover and the box acts as a decoy.